Federal mediator brings UR, union together to negotiate

A federal mediator has called union and the University of Rochester officials into a negotiation session over the union’s expired contract, union officials said Monday.

Service Employees International Union spokespersons last week said contract talks that began in August were stalled over health care and wage issues, and that workers planned to mount a picket line this Friday if no progress had been made by that date. Union officials said Monday no bargaining sessions had been held since Sept. 28.

Two SEIU bargaining units jointly are negotiating a contract with the university. SEIU Local 200 represents River Campus service workers and 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East represents staff at the medical center.

The two units combined represent 1,800 of the university’s roughly 20,000 employees. The union workers’ contracts have twice been extended since the pacts’ Sept. 22 expiration.